


Inner Sanctum, Inner Turmoil

by whirlinground



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Gen, Heartbreak, Multi, Romance, Smut, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23917042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whirlinground/pseuds/whirlinground
Summary: Canon-divergent take on events of Season 6. Rated E for adult language and graphic sex.I do not own these characters or anything you may recognize.This story is also published on Fanfiction.net by me, the author. A part if Bellarke Bingo!
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 42
Collections: Bellarke Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there,
> 
> Given the current state of the world and the fact that tomorrow is my birthday, I decided I’d not only push updates for my current published stories but give you two new ones! That’s right, I now have four published works up and a fifth in the starting process. They are all a little different, so if you like my style I hope you enjoy the expanded reading options.
> 
> Please, be safe. Stay sane and enjoy life as best you can in these times. I hope I'm helping keep you entertained!

Sanctum felt weird but everyone was so welcoming and inviting. The crew were even invited to celebrate something they called naming day. Leading up to it, there were a few parties and gatherings and the crew really enjoyed the break in what was normally a life of death and disaster. It felt so good to finally be living a better life, or so they thought. Alarms sounded and the guards tried to dissipate the crowd, sending everyone home. Of course, Clarke and Co. couldn’t just let something bad happen without stepping in, so they waded through the stressed-out residents seeking information on what was happening. Until of course someone said what was happening. “It’s Delilah! They got Delilah!” The scream broke over the crowd and the guards gave up their efforts to calm people and broke off, looking for her. Clarke took off for the radiation barrier. Everyone was frantic, the chaos spread all of Sanctum as every guard available hunted for Delilah. The closer they got to the shield, the more dangerous things seemed to get until Clarke spotted the kidnapper through the crops.

“Hey!” She screamed and took off after him. She closed the gap between the two and met with the wheelbarrow carrying Delilah around a dense crop of corn. With little to no effort Clarke laid the culprit out flat before uncovering the wheelbarrow and looking down on a paralyzed Delilah. 

“It’s alright.” She uncovered Delilah. “You’ll be o-” A crack echoed through her ears and pain searing out of every pore before the world went dark.

* * *

“We found them!” A man yelled out as the guards came back into the center of Sanctum. It was mid-day the next day and everyone who had searched had already since come back and tried to regroup. 

Delilah was received by her parents and taken into their arms. Jordan made his way to join her and apologize profusely for not saving her. She sweetly let him know it wasn’t his fault. 

Cillian was wrapping Clarke’s hand away from the group when Bellamy ran up to her and looked at her.

“Clarke.” His voice was full of relief and distress all in one. Cillian took that as a cue to leave her be and left the two alone. Without even getting in a word, Bellamy took her hands gently into his. 

“Clarke. I-” He paused and looked down. Clarke tilted her head, almost amused by his inner turmoil. In a single breath worth of time, he pulled her into his arms and held onto her like he was never going to let go. 

“I can’t lose you.” He looked her dead in the eye and told her the truth. “You don’t understand how much you mean to me.” 

“Bellamy-” She began, but he cut her off with a brash kiss. A kiss that took her off guard and rattled Bellamy to his very core. Years of something brewing deep in his soul finally acted upon. Her hands snaked up around his neck and she leaned into the kiss after a sliver of hesitation. His large hands slid to her sides and pulled her body into his closing any space between them. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long.” He whispered after breaking the kiss. 

Clarke had a devilish grin. “I bet.” She closed the space between their lips again and kissed him with an awakened vigor. A heat must have ignited within her because now she knew what she wanted and there in the middle of everyone she was seeking it. He pulled away from her to not be on display, but she looked annoyed and pulled back herself. 

“Come.” She said, her hand in his and she pulled him to the houses. Words weren’t shared. She simply led him into the nearest empty home, not knowing who it belongs to nor caring. Once behind the security of a closed door, she crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He had no choice but to return the passion. To him, this was a dream. To be with the woman he loved so dearly and meant so much to him for so long. Years of pain and right now he wanted to savor this one moment of bliss. 

Clarke moved quickly to pull his jacket from his broad shoulders and trace the bulge of his muscles with her fingers. Her hand studied every part of his body as he shed item after item of clothing soon to follow with stripping her down. He took his time, taking care of her and making sure it wasn’t rushed but Clarke seemed needy. She wanted out of her confines and him inside of her as quickly as she could so she pushed her own clothing away. Naked, she pulled him to her despite his desire to take in her naked form. Not allowing him the luxury, she pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. Her frame is much smaller than his, her hips expanded to straddle over him. Her lips making work of his as if she were trying to not let him breathe or even speak. A rough nip to his bottom lip broke their kiss as she sat up and moved to position herself. No foreplay, her dirty hands grabbed the throbbing thing below her and positioned it to enter her. She allowed her body weight to force him inside of her, and a low grown was heard from both of them. 

“Can-” She cut him off with another set of chaste kisses. Her full body weight sinking down into his hips and engulfing every inch of him. Admittedly, he wasn’t at full mast just yet. The drama of the night didn’t allow for this to be as sensual as it could have been, or even she didn’t allow it. Regardless, feeling her walls slide around him and her body take him in full, that remedied the problem quickly. 

“Fuck.” He whispered between smothering kisses. Clarke wiggled her hips gently once he was at the hilt and teased him by not moving much. That ignited something carnal within him and immediately Bellamy wrapped one strong arm around her and flipped her over, never once leaving her body empty. She squealed at the quick change in position and her grin even more diabolical now than ever. 

“Fuck me.” She cooed at him. The words almost caused hesitation. He wanted to make love to her, but he didn’t need to be asked. Bellamy withdrew his hips, his eyes locked on hers and he watched for every tiny reaction she could have as he pushed his hips back into her. Her eyes drooped and rolled but she pouted, wanting more. He took her sign and thrust in again, a bit harder. Her face all the more blissful, he continued and reached a pace that wasn’t painfully slow or buck wild fast. 

Bellamy enjoyed the fact that below him was the most beautiful woman he had ever known, inside and out. Someone who had been through so much with him and yet stayed strong. Someone who had seen the end of the world but tried her hardest to be a better person. Someone who was the brain to his heart. He leaned in and peppered her with kisses, but she soon turned her face away from him and he just watched her face as it contorted with pleasure.

“You're so beautiful.” He growled into his thrusts, nipping at the soft skin of her neck and jawline. She purred in response to the attention and her hands gripped his hips helping pull him into her. 

“Shh. Less talking.” She moaned hungrily as he slowly made love to her, her finger literally shushing him by pressing against his lips. He looked confused but paid attention to his actions. Bellamy thrust down into her as he pinned her lovingly into the bed and filled her to the hilt with every stroke of his hips. She was in bliss as it showed. Her chest heaving, and long moans escaping her pale pink lips. 

One hand moved down to her clit and the other played with her hair as it splayed on the pillow beneath her head. She rubbed herself in circles and twirling her hair imitated that. “Harder” She whined with a demanding tone. Bellamy took heed to her request, wanting nothing more than to please her. He leaned back on his heels for a moment and grabbed her legs, spreading them and lifting them into him. He entered her again and leaned in, both hands now supporting his full body weight on the mattress. Fully anchored, he plowed into her with a force that made her entire body move in rhythm. She was shuttering to grab a breath with the full-body vibration and in moments she shattered under him which caused him his own explosive orgasm. He didn’t even have time to warn her, pull out, or think about it. His balls emptied into her with a loud guttural groan that left him winded. They slumped together in a sweaty heap. 

“That was so needed.” She stood from the tangled linens and moved to get dressed. Bellamy lay on the bed confused and not sure what to say. After sliding on her jeans, she slipped on her top and jacket, pocketing her bra.

“Clarke…” Bellamy’s voice was low and confused. 

“Madi is waiting for me.” The words felt forced and fake. Clarke didn’t so much as kiss him or turn to look at him before she left the room. Bellamy sat there naked and in a sheen of sweat from what had just taken place and all the more confused. He pulled the sheet off of himself, got cleaned up and dressed at a quick pace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm late. I know. I'm not okay lately, but that is okay. Enjoy this and the other 3 fics being updated.

Two days, and Bellamy hadn’t seen Clarke. Two days since they had sex. Two days since the kidnapping incident. Two days of silence. Bellamy didn’t know what to think or how to feel. Was she busy? Did she regret what had happened? Something felt wrong when Bellamy was sitting in the Inn and Madi came in with Gaia behind her. 

“Where is Clarke?” Madi asked, sitting next to Bellamy at a table. He looked at her confused. 

“I thought she’s been with you?” He questioned, sitting upright. 

“The commander hasn’t seen her in days,” Gaia spoke for the kid, which mildly annoyed her. Bellamy looked to Madi. 

“Well, we saw you two the night Delilah was kidnapped. I figured…” The pre-teen didn’t finish. For being a child, she had the maturity of an adult at times and it was charming but sometimes haunting. The commanders in her head have such a great effect on her personality. 

“I haven’t seen her since that night either.” He said slowly, his brain processing things. 

“Maybe she’s with the Doc.” Murphy butt into the topic as he walked down the stairs. No one looked amused by his suggestion but him. Emori behind him, she shook her head. 

“Actually,” Emori moved around John. “I think Russell invited her up to the palace.”

The suggestion seemed valid. As leaders of their people, it made sense that they would spend time together, share politics and Clarke could learn about Sanctum to teach their people who to deal with life on this new planet. Bellamy was still bothered by her absence though. He didn’t know it she was avoiding him or if her being shown Sanctum just conveniently coincided with their previous happenings. 

“Well if she isn’t back tonight, I’m going to find her.” He suggested before leaving the room. 

The day came and went and Bellamy was restless in the Inn when he didn’t see her show up. Madi was being occupied by Gaia. Murphy and Emori had long since retreated to their own room. Jordan sat at the table with Delilah by his side, the two making a cute scene out of their flirtations. Echo was nowhere to be found and Raven was off in a workshop as per usual. He felt alone and it felt so wrong he was beside himself. 

“That’s it.” He mumbled to himself. “I’m going to find Clarke.” He directed his words to the lovers, and Jordan looked startled but Delilah kept him occupied. Bellamy took off alone, heading to the palace. At the front gate stood two guards, both of which sternly blocked his way.

“I’m looking for Clarke.” He commanded. 

“She’s not here.” One of them said in a dry, cold tone.

“She has to be. She hasn’t been down to the Inn in two days. If she’s not here then…” Before he could finish his question, the large stained glass door peeled back and out stepped Clarke. 

“Hey.” She said cheerily. Bellamy moved in to touch her, but the guards stopped him. 

“Where have you been?” He asked, taken aback by the protection she was receiving. She looked to the two men and they moved away from her. 

“Oh the Lightbournes have been showing me a lot of information. I just got carried away and lost track of time, so they gave me a room here.” She reasoned with him. It didn’t sit well with him though. 

“But what about Madi?” He asked. 

She almost looked annoyed. “Oh she’s fine, Gaia is taking care of her.” 

That one statement tore Bellamy’s world apart. At that very moment, he knew something wasn’t right. He didn’t know what, but he knew that the woman in front of him had changed. Clarke wouldn’t abandon Madi, not if the world was ending, let alone for some lavish room in a palace. He studied her and she idly played with a lock of her wavy blond hair. Her outfit was different. She looked comfortable, at home, and out of her normal black denim and trusty old jacket. There were a million and one things happening within him at that moment that to prevent himself from acting out, he had to just let it be. He took a step backward and scrambled his thoughts for something to say. 

“Anyways, they are waiting for me. I’ll come by the Inn tomorrow.” She casually said. He gave a nod of restraint and watched as she happily turned and disappeared into the palace. Bellamy looked at the guards, both stoic in their post. A calloused hand ran over his face as he turned his back to the door and walked down the stairs. His pace was quicker than a casual walk and he took a straight path to Jordan. Leaning in, he startled the love birds. 

“We need to talk, outside right now.” His voice was so loud for being so quiet. It was full of anger and fear. He left the table and went upstairs to find Murphy and Emori. He didn’t knock, he let himself in. The two were in the middle of something heated. 

“What the fuck man” Murphy yelled and covered their bodies. 

“Outside, now. We need to talk.” He commanded and left the room. He didn’t even acknowledge interrupting them. Something else was going on. His heavy boots clunked down the stairs and as he propelled his body through the Inn and outside into the moonlit sky. Jordan and Delilah stood outside awaiting him. 

“Not her.” He said sharply. Delilah looked hurt by this but quietly excused herself back inside. Jordan didn’t protest as he could see something was wrong. He knew enough about Bellamy through his parent's stories to know his behaviors. Murphy and Emori soon trickled out of the shabby building and joined the two. 

“I found Clarke.” He said quietly. A deep tone like Bellamy’s was hard to maintain a whisper.

“Okay, and?” Murphy prodded, annoyed at the interference in his evening.

“She’s living in the Palace.” He looked Murphy dead in the eye to really drive the words home.

“Okay, so she’s upgraded. Why does that involve me?” He retorted. Bellamy wasn’t having it. He snapped in a burst of anger and got into Murphy’s face, grabbing the collar of his t-shirt. 

“She isn’t herself. She left Madi and said she’d “come by” the Inn tomorrow. Not come home to us, but come by. Tell me that sounds normal to you Murphy.” Bellamy growled at the cockroach. Murphy raised his arms in defeat. 

“Okay, that’s not normal.” 

Emori stepped between the two and looked at Bellamy. “Do you think it’s the suns, plants, or drugs or something?” She asked, diffusing the two men. 

“Yeah, maybe they have her on something,” Murphy added. 

Bellamy paced a bit and rubbed his face again. “I don’t know. She didn’t seem strung out.” He shrugged. 

“Maybe she’s just happy,” Jordan added, alluding to his happiness with Delilah. 

“She would never be that disconnected to Madi. You don’t understand.” Bellamy shot back. Jordan kept quiet. 

“Look, there has to be a reason. We’ll figure it out.” Emori reasoned with an upset Bellamy and Murphy joined her side. “It’s what we do.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be safe.

The next day was Naming Day. The ceremony was interesting and the group watched and Delilah disappeared into the Palace for the longest time. When she came back out as Priya, she didn't recognize Jordan. He was beside himself with confusion and distracted to the point that Bellamy couldn't get his attention off of her. Bellamy looked through all of the sanctuary to find Clarke to no avail. He tried his hardest to get into the Palace but was met with force from the guards. Feeling defeated, he found himself at the Inn drinking that night when suddenly Jordan disappeared. Intuition led him to the Palace where the keypad had been disconnected and the door left ajar. Bellamy followed him.

Jordan snuck away that night, confused by what happened during the day. He dismantled the keypad and broke into the Palace. Bellamy found him not long after, needing him for his own mission to find Clarke. Luckily, the boy had led Bellamy into the Palace, Murphy on his heels. Entering the Palace, Bellamy found Jordan and Gaia looking at what seemed to be some sort of crypt or memorial for the Primes. They read the plaques and explored the room before being startled by Clarke.

"Each generation, a new Prime is named. When they pass, they are memorialized here. The tradition is that the next person to take a Prime name lives in their honor, in their shadow. That is why Delilah acts like she doesn't know you." She paused in the middle of her explanation, moving around the room a bit to keep their attention on her. "Their religion teaches them to pretend they are the prime." Clarke entered the darkroom, looking through the skeletons. Jordan went to speak but was cut off.

"To us, it is acting, to them, it is their true purpose and religion. Delilah was raised knowing one day she would have the honor of portraying Priya, and one day long from now when she passes, she will join those before her here in memoriam." She explained, coming to Jordan. She took his hand. "She cares about you, but her religion is the only way of life they know." Her tone is sincere. Jordan looked confused and shocked.

"Clarke-" Bellamy started.

"I know, I've been gone. We need to talk about that, but maybe here isn't the most appropriate?" She suggested as she walked over to Bellamy and put her hand on his arm.

"Clarke is right. We need to respect their religion." Gaia wholeheartedly declared, heading for the door. The group knew this from their time in Polis in the past and all headed out. Jordan delayed. Bellamy turned to him.

"Look, I know it's not easy. Heartbreak never gets easy. Learning how people live differently from us never gets easy. But eventually, you just cope." He reasoned with Jordan, who was still very young and naive at heart. Jordan nodded and followed him out, everyone taking off down the hill except for Clarke. She stopped Bellamy and pulled him aside.

"I'm sorry for being… weird." She stated, looking at him. "I'm overwhelmed. Being a leader, trying to be good, worried about Kane. Now you, us." She rambled on, and his composure broke a bit.

"I don't want to be a burden." His heart broke as he said it.

"You're not. We've been through a lot together." She hesitated. "I just have so much going on."

Bellamy's eyes were glassy and he took a step back. "I'll wait. I'll be here when you're ready." He said, standing his ground. He noticed her smile turn up the corners of her lips.

"Take care of the kid for me?" She said coldly. "Russel is waiting, they have so much history to share with me and ours with them." Clarke leaned in and stole a kiss from Bellamy. It felt dry and heartless, it felt forced.

"Okay," Bellamy said. His heart was frozen right now. He didn't know how to feel and he wanted to understand but right now he knew she just needed space. He could give her that, he could understand. If history taught them anything it was that learning about one another's worlds the proper way would help them all in the long run. With a heavy heart, Bellamy walked back down to the Inn and joined the group there. Echo was finally there. He looked at her, and she approached him to comfort him but he turned. He couldn't deal with it right now. He couldn't deal with anything. He turned up the stairs and disappeared.

* * *

" _Take care of the kid"_

" _The kid"_

" _The KID"_

Bellamy sat up and spun his legs off the bed. Why would Clarke call Madi kid when she almost always called her Madi. She never referred to her daughter that way and the kiss she gave him felt like she was in a different universe. Unsettled, he moved to his feet and paced around the room. Something felt off and he couldn't sit there and sleep it off. Now he understood how Jordan felt about Delilah. At that moment he realized they needed to figure it out. Were these girls being drugged and brainwashed? Was Clarke playing sides? Something was going on. Bellamy slipped his boots onto his holey-sock clad feet and moved to Jordan's room. He knocked once and entered. Jordan also sat up awake and unable to sleep.

"You too huh?" Jordan said with drained emotion.

"If I help you figure this out, for Delilah and Clarke, we don't involve the others. We don't know what is going on and who is aware of anything. Deal?" Bellamy's voice was low and quiet but still louder than he knew. Jordan looked into his brown eyes and looked for trust and truth. He found it and his own glazed over. Right now all he needed was support and Bellamy just offered him that. He nodded.

"Alright, first thing in the morning. We act normal but we figure this out. Try to sleep." He said before leaving. He went back to his room and flopped back onto the bed. He would lay awake most of the night thinking up plans on what they would or could even do. Nor he or Jordan knew what they were facing if anything. They could just be heartbroken boys who are grasping at straws. It was true though, Bellamy would get to the bottom of it one way or another. Eventually, sleep took hold of him and he drifted off.

Morning rolled around and Bellamy was up with no delay. Sleep happened but the most minimal he could afford. He didn't have to wake Jordan as when he went down to get food in his system Jordan was sitting at the bar over a steaming mug as if he had been waiting for a while. Bellamy sat on the stool beside him and was handed a plate of who knows what.

"How long have you been up?" His voice was low.

"An hour maybe?" Jordan said before sipping from his cup.

"Anyone else up?" He asked of their group and Jordan shook his head.

"How are we going to do this?" Jordan questioned and looked around to make sure no one was listening. Bellamy waved him off and stuffed some of the food from his plate into his mouth. While chewing he stood and ushered Jordan out of the inn. It was bright and warm and took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Both men surveyed the area before closing into one another.

"We need to learn more about what is going on around here. Mingle, ask questions, explore but don't make it obvious and don't bring in anyone else."

"No one else?" Jordan looked at Bellamy unwillingly and confused. The older of the two shook his head firmly.

"No one. We don't know who we can trust right now."

Jordan nodded and sighed.

Jordan had a very busy day and tried to keep himself that way solely to avoid his thoughts. Restlessness got the best of him when he finally found himself back in the inner sanctum where the remains of primes were houses. He studied the nameplates and studied the room trying to understand before Gaia walked in on him.

"I had a feeling you'd come back." She said. Before he could explain she eased him of his worry. "I too want to know more." Gaia moved over to the skeletons that were on display and noted how each one had an indent on their skulls. One that matched the flame.

"Our sacred symbol." She queried, as a click sounded in the room. Jordan had revealed a hidden door.

"It's a lab," Jordan said eagerly, pushing himself into the room. The two walked into the large room full of state of the art equipment which was intimidating to Gaia but a candy story for Jordan. He quickly found himself at the main computer in the room, booting it up and rummaging the files like he had done it before. His father had trained him well. A few minutes went by before Jordan pulled up a video. He and Gaia watched in silence. The world around them slowed to a frozen crawl as the footage unfolded so much truth and horror. The footage showed and explained everything they needed to know and everything they would never have dreamed up. Jordan's heart had shattered a million times over and Gaia was left questioning her religion and purpose in life.

"They all carry the flame," Gaia said with a heavy heart.

"No." Jordan corrected her through tears. "They implant an AI into a host and the AI is someone from their past. They are bringing back their dead and using random believers as sacrificial hosts." Jordan moved away from the desk and stood up. "It's murder." His blood began to boil.

"So Delilah…"

"Got replaced by an AI chip of Priya.." He said angrily.

"But that means she could still be there." Gaia offered him hope but right now he was too overwhelmed with mourning and anger.

"We need to find Bellamy" Jordan took off leaving Gaia behind. She closed things up behind herself until she got to the front door and got caught. Guards closed in on her and questioned her purpose and intent to which she covered Jordan.

"I popped the lock. I wanted to know more about your beliefs." She explained in a steady tone. "I think we have similar views" She lied. Without anything else being said they grabbed her and dragged her off, deeper into the sanctum.

Jordan ran into the Inn and looked around for Bellamy, only he was nowhere to be found. His fist hit the table as he ran up to it and startled Echo, Raven, Emori, and Murphy who all sat there. "Where is Bellamy?" He demanded. Echo stood to comfort him.

"He's with Clarke, what is wrong?" She asked.

"I need to talk to Bellamy, now."

"Well, he's not here, what is going on," Raven asked over the table.

Jordan looked between them all and with the most serious expression of his life he explained. "We need to find him, immediately. Trust me." No one questioned him, they all moved from the table to seek out Bellamy. Even a reluctant Murphy. The group spread out and searched everywhere they could for Bellamy without stepping over boundaries. Eventually, they all found themselves back outside of the Inn and with no information on Bellamy. Raven felt something was amiss when Murphy suggested they just go back to the Inn and chill. She looked at him and he avoided her eyes.

"Murphy." She said. He looked at her with a cocked head.

"What do you know?" She asked.

He laughed. "The same you know." He said dryly. Raven lunged at him pushing Emori to the side. Echo moved into place to keep anyone from fighting.

"If anything happens to Bellamy or Clarke, I will fucking kill your myself." She threatened through her teeth with her fist on his collar. Echo pulled her off and Emori looked at him.

"John…" He looked at Emori and faltered.

"Clarke…" he began and paused. "Took him up to the palace. They are probably just relieving years of sexual tension." He snickered at himself. Emori looked at him and knew that somehow he was lying. He knew something and she turned to Raven.

"We will find him." She assured Raven without paying mind to John lying. Emori gave John another side look before ushering the group to the front door of Sanctum. Murphy lagged behind hesitantly. Echo took the lead at the door and demanded to see Clarke.

"We need to speak with Clarke."

"She is busy." One of the guards said.

"She can make time for her people." Echo replied. The other guard looked at her.

"We said she is busy."

Raven pushed forward and one of the guards drew his spear down to point at her. "If you don't get Clarke out here in the next five minutes, I will not only find a way in myself but I will let the punishment for letting us in fall on you." She promised with no fear over the spear pointed at her. Murphy had moved almost in defense of the women and Jordan moved forward as well.

"Hold on." One of them finally said as he pried open the door and entered the building. He returned a minute or two later as the group had a stare-off with the other guard.

"She will be right down." He said taking his post back on the side of the door. The group stood and waited with a tension brewing. A few minutes pass and the door opens. Clarke appears before them dressed as a member of sanctum and twirling a strand of her wavy blond hair.

"Uh, Clarke…" Raven looked at her friend confused about why she looked like one of them and not like one of skaikru anymore.

"Yeah?" She said in a higher tone.

"We need to talk. Alone." Raven said. Clarke dismissed the guards behind her and Jordan moved forward to speak.

"Where is Bellamy?" He asked. Her face denoted something for the shortest moment but she shrugged.

"He was up here earlier, we had lunch together then he said he was going to go look for you guys." Her tone is still light and bubbly.

"And Gaia?" He asked.

"Isn't she with the kid?" She said it again and all of them realized how wrong that was. Raven thought about it for a moment and posed a scenario to gauge Clarke's reaction.

"Madi went to school today." She proposed.

"That's good," Clarke responded with a smile. At that moment, Raven knew something wasn't right, in fact, they all did. One look between Raven and Echo and Echo sprung into action and detained Clarke.

"What the hell are you doing?" She commanded to know. Echo covered Clarke's mouth quickly, and Murphy jumped to help. He pulled Echo's arms away, and Raven decked him.

"What the fuck. Don't help her." She yelled. Emori pushed John away and helped Echo as they carried Clarke into a nearby building. They locked the door behind themselves and Jordan held a blade to John to keep him off of the other women. It took a bit of effort but they got Clarke secured to the wall with the chains meant for the red moon. They pat her down and found a few syringes tucked into a band at her waist in a small hidden pocket.

Raven waved them in her face and asked, "What are these?"

"If you scream, you'll get whatever is in that needle." Echo threatened.

Once the hand was removed from her face, Clarke sighed and rolled her eyes. "They are paralytics." She answered honestly.

"Oh, so you won't mind if we use it on you."

"Oh I mind, and I think so would your friend Clarke." She bit back in a snarky tone, something different from Clarke's normal tone.

They all looked bewildered at one another. Was she not Clarke? Jordan's eyes welled up and he stepped forward.

"Who are you?" He said in a low and brooding tone.

"Josephine Litebourne, nice to meet you." She flicked them a mockery of a smile to which John sighed and backed down. Emori looked at him with concern.

"You knew?" She asked, gritting her teeth. John looked at her with love.

"Look-" He tried to begin to explain but Emori advanced on him with the blade and stopped him in his tracks. "Tie him up." She demanded and Echo did so immediately, shackling him to the wall the same way Clarke or Josephine now was.

Jordan shook his head to bring himself out of the rage he had inside. "Gaia and I found their lab not a few hours ago. She was with me and we saw videos." He paused choking up a bit.

"They raise people under this false religion so the chosen ones, like Delilah, don't protest when they get implanted with an AI chip, similar to the flame. Only their chip is a complete wipe of the host. It's not pretend and honoring them, it's false Gods and murder.." Jordan explained with bleary eyes. Raven looked livid and Echo confused. Emori eyed John with confusion.

"And you knew about this?" Raven quickly found herself at John's face again and she slapped him when he sighed.

"Oh it's okay John. You can tell them." Cla.. Josephine told him. He looked angrily at her. "Johnny boy here bought himself two chips to immortality for insider info so I could really nail this acting gig." She said with a sly grin. Raven lunged at her now and Echo stopped her.

"She's still Clarke." Echo reminded her.

"IS SHE?" Raven yelled.

Jordan pulled her away and looked at her. "She is, for a short time. I think each person lasts differently but of anyone, Clarke would put up a fight."

"Oh, she is. She's mighty persistent." Josephine griped. That gave them all hope that Clarke was still there.

"So what do we do?" Emori asked.

"We have to get the AI out without damaging Clarke," Jordan explained.

"Well, how do we do that? And what about Bellamy or Gaia? Where are they?" Echo asked.

"Oh, Bellamy? He's fine, for now." Josephine piped up. "Gaia on the other hand…" She trailed off. This time Echo got low and in her face.

"If they are hurt, I will rip your parent's hearts out right in front of you," Echo promised before shoving a balled-up rag in her mouth.

Raven suddenly ran out of the building and Emori followed her. "Are you okay?"

"I know how to save Clarke." She said in a determined whisper. She didn't want Josephine to hear. Echo and Jordan followed and Raven quickly commanded everyone's part. "Echo stay here. Don't let anyone in or out. Emori, I need you to come with me to Ryker's. Jordan, do you think you can get a hold of Abby? We're going to need her. I think the ship is still down here." Raven suggested. Each member of the group nodded to their task and separated.

About an hour later Emori and Raven showed up with a wheelbarrow of stuff, covered. Jordan showed up with Abby in tow. "We were about to go back up, I need to get to Kane. What do you need?" She seemed unamused.

"I'll explain in a minute Abby, you just need to trust me," Raven told her without allowing her time to react. The four of them knocked on the door where Echo and the prisoners were and were let in.

"Clarke." Abby began to move to her daughter, but Raven stopped her.

"Abby, that isn't Clarke." She got between them. A smile appeared at the gagged mouth of Josephine.

"What, of course, it is." She tried to push past her but Echo helped keep them apart.

"It's not Clarke. It's Josephine, Russell's daughter. They implanted an AI chip in Clarke and stole her from you." Jordan boldly explained. Abby's heart shattered at that moment. Looking at her daughter, she could see it in her eyes. She could see that she was indeed NOT Clarke.

A fire ignited in the older woman and she backed away with tears in her eyes. "So Delilah too.." she thought out loud to which Jordan nodded. "Russell, Simone, Ryker, they are all AI chips in night blood hosts." He looked Abby in the eye. "Delilah knew she would one day be a prime, but she didn't know she would die for it. The longer the chip is in the host…" He didn't need to finish. Abby got it. She and Raven knew what to do without words because they had been chipped once.

"We need to sedate her." Abby quickly exclaimed to which John protested. "No!"

"Whose side are you on?" Emori demanded from her lover.

"Ours."

"Ours?" She asked.

"I do whatever I need to do to survive." He looked at Emori, and she knew what he meant. They survived, together. But this was so wrong and she didn't side with him. She took a rag and shoved it in his mouth with a heavy heart and heavy fist. He looked defeated.

"We have these." Echo held up the paralytics. "Paralytics." Abby reached out and took them but put them in her bag.

"I have a reaper stick." Abby pulled out the large pen and popped the cap, pressing the button.

"Wait!" Jordan exclaimed. "She knows where Bellamy and Gaia are. She did something to them."

Abby pulled the rag from Josephine's mouth and she stretched her jaw.

"And what do I get if I tell you?" She cocked her head.

"I don't slaughter your entire family." Echo suggested. Abby said nothing, she just stared into the shell that was her daughter.

"I'll save your chip." She told her, a bald-faced lie.

"Fine. The cute one is in the dungeon of Sanctum, crying over his lost love. The weird one escaped when she was found in the lab. We don't have her." She explained.

She looked at her daughter and a pain-filled her, causing her to hesitate. A heavy sigh let her stab the needle into her daughter's neck. Clarke's body slumped over.

"Get her on that bed," Abby said through tears. Echo and Jordan complied and unchained her, laying her in on the cot. They pulled the bed out away from the wall and Abby set her bad down to her side. Raven pulled the tarp off the wheelbarrow.

"You're not really saving her chip are you?" Emori asked. Raven and Abby gave one another a look and said nothing before she began to assemble the pseudo-EMP.

"Hold her down. We're going to send an EMP through her body. It'll fry the chip, which I then have to remove. Immediately after, we have to restart her heart. If we fail, she dies." Abby commanded the group as if she were in the theatre working on a patient in a hospital.

"EMP is ready," Raven said as Emori helped her roll the wheelbarrow over to Clarke's side. They connected Clarke to the makeshift device and let Abby count things down. Raven held Clarke's head still and Jordan and Emori held her legs down. Echo remained on guard.

"Three, two, one." Abby triggered the EMP. Clarke's body jolted forward almost out of the grasp of those holding her. She let out a loud and painful cry which Jordan had to muffle with a pillow. As fast as it had begun, it had ended and she slumped back into the cot with no life.

"Turn her over." They complied and moved her away from Abby. Abby slit a line at the nape of Clarke's neck and reached in with her fingers. The chip was larger than what had been in her own body and was still intact. She pulled it from its embedded location and watched the chip die in her fingers, covered in her daughter's blood. She quickly dropped it beside her and pressed a towel to the open wound. Her friends let her body down again and Abby moved to set up the paddles, connecting them to the battery on the makeshift EMP. She waited a moment for Clarke to awake on her own.

It didn't happen. She ripped the fabric off of her daughter's chest and warmed the paddles, shocking her. Her body jolted up again. Nothing. "Compressions." She commanded, not knowing which of them knew anything about CPR. Their methods were old, as the world had ended so long ago but basic CPR was something every Arker knew. Raven jumped up and Jordan stopped her, taking the lead. His parents must have taught him. He did compressions and Abby felt for a pulse. "Clear." She said, he lifted away and shocked again. He began again.

"I can't lose you." Abby readied an injection of epinephrine and quickly administered it. It worked by constricting blood vessels and opening her airways. She took a sharp breath and Jordan moved his hands from her. Abby felt that her pulse was crazy but she had one. She was there, alive.

"Mom?" Clarke croaked out and the entire room felt relieved.

"Oh, Clarke." Abby leaned in to hug her daughter and tears filled both women's eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

It took a while for Clarke to get up onto her feet and Abby was by her side checking on her vitals. Raven too didn’t leave her side and Jordan paced the room a bit. Emori sat nearby watching and waiting. Once she was up, Echo handed her a shirt she had found in the room they were in. Reviving Clarke had ripped the top of her dress. She politely took it and covered herself, surveying her outfit. 

“We need to get Bellamy out of there.” She quietly decided once covered. Everyone silently agreed. 

“I can do it. I saw everything.” She said, looking at her mom. 

“No, I am not sending you back in there.” Abby refused, but Clarke stood up to her mother. 

“We don’t have a choice. I watched Josephine steal my body and pretend to be me. I know I can pretend to be her.” Clarke pleaded with her mother but they both knew she didn’t need her approval. She was going to do what she needed to for her people. 

“I should change.” Clarke looked at herself again and suddenly came up with a plan. “I have an idea.” She walked over to Murphy and shook her head, looking at him. He looked pathetic, chained to the wall and unable to do anything about it. In that moment something rose in Clarke that was akin to rage and she decked him in the face. The rag in his mouth probably cushioned the blow. 

“I think he should go back to the ship and be put in isolation. He’s a traitor and right now we can’t trust which side he is on.” She explained, standing and looking back to the group. Emori looked upset and almost angry while Raven looked somewhat amused. 

Echo stood to him with a paralytic in her hand. “Use this. We can transport him in the wheelbarrow and if we get stopped just say he’s got something infectious.” Murphy was yelling through the rag jammed in his mouth, clearly in protest. Abby however, agreed to it with a solemn look to Emori. Her heart was breaking in that moment. 

“Let me talk to him. Please.” She quickly asked, moving between everyone and him. The room silently agreed with Echo nearby ready to inject him if needed. 

Emori knelt down and pulled the rag from his mouth. “Why, John?” She asked quietly, pain in her tone. 

“For us. I did it for us.” He looked into the eyes of the woman he loved and sadness washed over him. Emori studied him and looked so confused. She knew how much survival meant to John and it meant the same to her but in the time she had come to be a member of Skaikru she had grown to understand that they all were a family. It wasn’t just her and him anymore and they didn’t need to fight to live alone. 

“We survive with our family, John.” Emori choked up, standing up and she took the syringe from Echo. She stabbed John in the neck and quickly paralyzed him. Her eyes brimming with tears and her soul heavier than ever before. 

“Let’s go.” She managed to get out, looking at him as he was immobile. His eyes red and full of tears. With that, they quickly enacted the plan. Raven tried comforting Emori but she brushed the other woman off and went about the mission they had begun. Clarke found herself at the Inn where she changed. After being back in a normal outfit she took a moment to encourage herself that this plan would work before finding her way to the front of Sanctum. At the gate were two guards and her heart sped up as she approached them. A staredown commenced between the two men and herself before she stopped in front of them. 

“Are you just going to look at me, or are you going to let me in?” She enabled herself to portray Josephine as if she had practiced this role when really she had lived it. The guards didn’t second guess her and let her in. Once inside though, she ran into Russel. 

“What are you wearing?” He posed the question with a very weary tone and expression. 

Taking in a breath, she steadied herself and flicked on a persona. “I changed into these rags to convince them I was their boring little Clarke.” She rolled her eyes at the man. He hesitated but smiled. 

“How are they? Do they suspect anything?” He asked, his hands coming to lovingly embrace her lower arms. Her body wanted to rebel against the contact as she would have rather killed him right then. 

“As if.” She threw on a fake beaming grin and cocked her head playfully. Russel smiled brightly before being beckoned by Simone from another room. He planted a kiss on Clarke’s cheek which made acid creep into her throat before leaving her alone in the great hall. She blinked back her feelings and focused on the plan; Bellamy.

  
  
  


The doors slid into the wall pockets and in walked her. Pain flooded every nerve inside him as fire pulsed through his veins and his heart threatened to beat a hole through its confines and fall into his stomach to his death. Eyes bloodshot and stained from tears, Bellamy looked destroyed. Seeing her body but knowing it wasn’t her made him replay how he got here. 

_ Clarke escorted Bellamy into the Palace and up to a room she was given. It wasn’t just some basic guest quarters. It was a lavish room, a sectioned off living area, a large bedroom, a full en-suite bath and the room was covered in paper lanterns. A really stunning set up, she walked into it very casually like she had lived there for years and wasn’t just staying there overnight to learn about their people. A red flag went off on his head, but he passed it off as overreaction to her distance. Just when they were getting closer, she felt further away.  _

_ As if he couldn’t be more confused, she pulled him into the room and flung him against a wall. “I’ve been meaning to do this again.” A grin prefaced her lips pressing to his. Again, it was brash and cold. The spark he knew should be there wasn’t and it felt wrong.  _

_ He pushed her back gently. “Something doesn’t feel right.” He was honest with her, hoping dialogue could fix this. Boy, was he wrong because she rolled her eyes and he knew in that moment that this woman wasn’t Clarke. She tried kissing him again, forcing herself onto him. He pushed back and flipped them, pushing her against the wall instead.  _

_ “Who are you?” He had her pinned against the wall, an arm across her upper chest and the other on the wall to brace himself.  _

_ “Josephine Litebourn.” The name burned his world to the ground. He knew it and suddenly everything made sense. Sure, she seemed aloof but when Jordan explained what he found in their palace, he had this dark gnawing feeling in his gut that Delilah wasn’t the only person who was chipped. Before he could react though, he felt something shape enter his chest, a needle full of paralytic. His body slumped with the heaviest thud and he was immobile. His eyes flickered around but soon welled up with tears, obscuring his vision.  _

_ “Guards.” She called out, that voice was still hers but the tone behind it wasn’t. He was devastated and furious. How could he not have known? He knew Clarke, everything about her. How did he not see this before now, and how did he get himself into this position?  _

_ Two armed men came in and dragged the limp man through the corridors of the Palace, finally depositing him in a barren room, chaining him to the floor and sliding the heavy doors closed behind him. A single click denoted he was locked in there. In torment and still unable to move, he let himself fester on the floor. Hoping to black out and this would all be a dream but getting no such luck. He was stuck, locked in a catatonic state and in that moment felt like nothing in the world mattered. He had lost everything. _

“Leave us.” She demanded and the guards closed the door behind her leaving her in the room with him, alone. She approached and his soul sank more.

“Bellamy.” Her tone was different and it caused him more pain than he could understand right now. She moved closer and her hand moved to reach out. 

“Don’t touch me.” A deep rumble came from him in the form of words. It caused her to freeze and almost seemed to hurt her. He noted that but he moved to stand, still chained to the floor. 

“Bell-” 

“Don’t say my name. Don’t touch me. Don’t fucking speak to me.” He growled and noticed a tremble in her, one he knew and had seen before when Clarke was hurting and feared something. He had to remind himself that this wasn’t Clarke anymore which just made him all the more angry. 

“It’s me.” She whispered and stood her ground. He brought himself to clock her ocean eyes and there was something warm and familiar behind them, something he hadn’t seen in a while. His heart pulled at him and he told himself this was just another sick joke to this woman. Silence settled between them and she shifted her weight, her jaw quivering and her hands nervously plucking at the same spot on her jacket that she had abused for years now. 

She took one bold step closer and he backed away from her. “Stop.” He yelled, a piercing state taking over and controlling his entire body. The daggers bore through her. 

“Do whatever, just don’t fuck with me like that. Don’t fucking make me think she’s still here, you killed her. I’m done fighting.” He commanded but his statement trailed off into a defeated and painful plea for relief from this torture. Of anything Josephine could do, playing games with him was the worst. 

She sighed and looked defeated which confused him even more. 

“Fine.” One word was all she said before she unhooked his chain from the floor with slight hesitation. She knew he could snap and hurt her if he really thought she was still Josephine but something in her heart told her he wouldn’t lay a hand on her, on Clarke. 

“Just be quiet and come with me. Please.” She proposed and led him out the doors. They walked through the sanctum and she put on a smug grin when people saw them despite the fact that she was biting back tears. Once outside she silently guided him to the makeshift building she had awoken in a while ago. Walking into the room he saw Emori and Echo sitting on the cot together. Raven was pacing and Jordan was in the corner sulking, or so it appeared. 

“Bellamy.” Echo stood to greet him as Clarke unshackled him. She embraced him which he accepted and Raven came to clap him on the shoulder. 

“What-” He started, confused by what was happening but he stopped and pointed to Clarke. “That’s not Clarke.” The anger came back. 

“It is.” Echo warned him and pointed to the makeshift EMP that sat next to the cot. A wave of emotion washed over him and he had so many questions. His eyes scanned the device and the faces of his friends before locking onto Clarke. Her eyes had given up on their hold of tears and they streamed down her pale cheeks as her chin quivered. Some unseen entity stabbed him right through the heart in that very moment and pain riddled his soul. He couldn’t find words but he looked at her, studied her for proof. Her tears were real, her blue pools shone her true heart and that tremble in her jaw gave her away. 

“Clarke…” He whispered and moved to her. Feet turned to inches and heat rose as he closed in on her before someone burst into the door. 

“They have Gaia. They just found her in the fields.” Abby exclaimed before even surveying the room and what was going on. She was glad to see Bellamy alive and well but right now, they needed to help Gaia. 

“I’ve got this.” Clarke cleared her throat but her words came out pained and broken anyways. She wiped her tears and fanned the moisture out of her eyes. She snuck out the back of the building and casually ducked between them to get herself away from where her friends hid and closer to the front of Sanctum. She strolled up as guards approached the front with Gaia in hand. 

“Oh, what have we here?” She feigned excitement. 

“We found her in the crops, your father wants her.” One of them said and Clarke grimaced. Gaia looked at her with a loss in her eyes confused by the father comment. 

“Oh let me deliver her.” She grinned evilly and took Gaia by the arm forcefully. Gaia pulled back out of her grasp but didn’t flee. She instead followed Clarke into Sanctum and the guards followed behind closely, enough so they were in earshot but not riding up their asses. 

“Dad, I have a present for you.” She called out and saw Russel and Simone enter the room. He looked delighted to see Gaia standing beside her. 

“Did she get to the others?” He asked, curious about if there was any compromise on their end. Clarke shook her head. 

“They think she and Bellamy are gathering with the hunting party.” She bounced on her heels which felt foreign to her but somehow so familiar as she was copying something she watched Josephine do. 

He scanned the lean younger woman and thought. “What should we do with this one, doesn’t she have ties to their beliefs?” 

Clarke nodded. “She knows about the blood, I’ll get her to talk.” Gaia cocked her head before being led to the room Bellamy was in not minutes before and chained to the floor. The guards left her there with her after she asked them to do so.

“Who, what are you?” Gaia asked pointedly, confused by Russel being called her father. She had seen what they were capable of but didn’t expect Clarke to be a victim, though it did make sense with her not being around. 

“It’s me, Gaia.” She expressed but Gaia backed away, hesitant. “They implanted a chip in me, like the flame, the night of the rebellion. It was Josephine Lightbourne. A few hours ago my mom and Raven used an EMP on me, stopped, and restarted my heart. It wiped the chip and allowed me to regain control. Josephine is gone.” She explained in a very quiet tone. Gaia was bewildered and didn’t know how to react. Everything in her religion now seemed like a lie as it was all tied to science and the same science these people were using to murder their followers. 

“Look, I know it is a lot. I don’t know how to get you out of here. We got Bellamy out, and we need to get Delilah.” She paced away from Gaia. 

“We will lie to them.” The poised one said. Clarke shot her an inquisitive look. 

“We spend a few days here, converting me, so to speak.” She explained. “We use that to gain favor of Priya, or Delilah and do the same thing to her that they did to you.” 

“We can try, it’s not a guarantee that the host comes back.” Her tone dropped in sadness. 

“Well we have to try. They did not choose to be hosts.” Gaia’s voice faltered for a moment at the realization of how similar that was to her entire purpose, the keeping of the flame, and the following of commanders. 

Clarke reached out to Gaia and they held arms. “I don’t want this for you.” She said. 

“It is what we must do.” 

Clarke nodded and they traded a look before separating and Clarke moved to the door, sliding them open. 

“Keep guards on her. I’ll tell Dad what to do.” Clarke commanded the guards as if she was Josephine and it almost confused her. She sought out their leader and told him to use Gaia’s religion against her, knowing that is what they had planned. She promised her not-father that it would eventually break her. At one point he suggested using Madi against her but Clarke refused almost too eagerly. She explained that it would cause more trouble with all of them if they did that which Russel believed. 

After that, she went back out to the room her family had been in. 

Everyone looked at her as she walked into the room, her mom coming to her side for support. 

“Honey-”

“I’m fine. Gaia is fine. We have a plan, but it will be a few days. I told them I’d stay with you guys to get the heat off of them.” Her voice shook as she finished speaking and the pressure and weight of today's events was coming down on her hard. 

“What about Madi? What do we tell her?” Raven asked.

“We don’t,” Abby said. Clarke teared up at the thought of lying to her child but she knew her mother was right. 

“She’s right. We can’t. We have to act like everything is okay. Josephine told her she could go to school, so I have to let her keep that up. We just keep protecting her like we all do and let the plan with Gaia happen. Once we have Gaia and Delilah out of there, everything will be okay. I hope. I think.” She ran out of steam. 

“Okay.” Was heard from a few low voices.

Clarke wiped her cheek. “What about Murphy?” She looked to her mother. 

“He’s back on the transport ship, locked up.” She paused. “Jackson is watching him.” 

“I can guard him.” Emori offered but they all quickly shot her down with silence. 

“We’ll fill Miller in and send him.” Bellamy chimed in and Emori looked defeated. 

“I will guard him.” Echo offered on behalf of Emori whom she put a hand on the shoulder of. It softened her expression. 

“Alright, so let’s act like normal,” Raven announced with a renewed energy. “Emori and I will use Ryker’s shop to get another EMP made for Delilah. What about other chipped people?” 

Clarke sighed. “It’s too late for them. When you’re in there, watching, things get further and further away. I fought her to stay at the front. We don’t even know…” She stopped and looked at Jordan who was tearing up. “We will try, regardless, for Delilah.” Jordan tried to smile but he couldn’t. Nor could she. The events of the last few days replayed on her mind like an old horror movie on slides, ticking by slowly and freeze-framing at the wrong moments. It was painful and she felt sick both mentally and physically. 

“For now, let’s call it a day.” Abby moved to Clarke’s side and looked to the group. There was a heaviness over them all and no one argued. One by one they exited the room and took off for either the Inn or the transport ship. Abby stayed behind though, with Clarke. 

“Are you okay?” She asked her daughter, all of the care in the world laced into those three worlds. It broke Clarke and the floodgate opened. 

“No.” She honestly exploded into tears and her mother took her into her arms like she was still a little girl and just cut her knee playing. This was so much different than those innocent days though. The pain of multiple worlds sat on their hearts and Clarke was finally able to relieve the pent of anguish. Torment caused by watching Josephine pretend to be her, con the people she loved, and oh God; Her and Bellamy. Crying harder than she ever had in her life, Clarke could barely breathe even through the soothing rubs of Abby’s hand on her back. 

“It’s okay baby.” Her mother just let her spill it all out and Abby herself was crying, feeling pain for her daughter. The sat like that for a while before Clarke expelled all of her energy. She had just enough for Abby to escort her back to the Inn, where she passed her daughter off to Raven so she could get back to her research on the dropship. In Raven’s arms, Clarke’s eyes still leaked what little moisture was left in her body as she fell into an exhausted and nightmarish slumber. 


	5. Chapter 5

Morning came and Clarke woke to an empty room. Once the grog of the morning shed a heaviness revealed itself in her chest and she immediately wanted to turn back over and fall back asleep but Clarke couldn’t do that. She couldn’t just shut off the world today. She had so much to do. Not only be a mother and a leader but be a completely different person. Her heart was heavy and so very broken right now. It was an inner battle to turn over and shut out the world or peel herself off of her bed and face the day, one moment at a time. She knew she needed to do the latter, so she sat up and reflected for a moment. Once she found herself ready enough, she got out of bed, washed off with a wet cloth in the basin and changed. She felt somewhat human, but that was the hardest part of being human. 

Admittedly, she was slow to leave the room, unready to face the day. She had just been through so much trauma in such a short amount of time. Having to continue to be someone she’s not for the sake of her people was hard enough, but the real pain she faced was reliving the moments Josephine had hijacked her body. The moments she, Josephine, was with Bellamy. Bearing witness to their exchange ripped a fissure through her spirit, deeper than flesh and bone. Vividly replaying him give himself to her, only she wasn’t herself. Watching them engage with one another intimately as if she was there when she wasn’t. It was heart wrenching, painful, and awkward. Clarke honestly didn’t know how she would face Bellamy, let alone look at him. What the hell could they say to one another right now? She tried to swallow that back and focus on the real mission; Protecting their family from the evil of Sanctum and continuing the facade of Josephine Lightbourne. 

Stepping through the threshold of her room allowed her a shred of courage to face the day, and she hid her emotions behind a stoic vail of solidarity, something she had mastered over the years. From losing her father to leading a team of delinquents, having her heart broken twice, and raising a child at the end of the world. Clarke was made for this gig, or so she would tell herself. Upon descending the stairs, the inn was all but empty. Only Delilah’s mother was about, behind the bar. 

“Miss Griffin.” She politely smiled. 

“Please, call me Clarke.” She returned the sweet smile, knowing how bittersweet it was. 

“Can I get you anything?” The woman asked behind sorrowful eyes. Clarke politely declined. 

“Do you happen to know where everyone is?” She asked, her hand laying on the bartop. 

“Raven said to tell you they went to the dropship for the day to help your mother out.” She said and it sounded vague. Clarke knew that meant they were planning something under the guise of helping Abby with Kane. 

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly. She wanted to scream out that they were going to try to save Delilah, but she didn’t know how this woman felt about it all. They raised her knowing she would become a prime, but did she ever understand the pain it would cause her? Unknowingly sacrificing her only child to be used as a vessel for someone else's mind. It boggled Clarke’s mind, but seeing the grounders and how they coveted the flame and now how Sanctum's belief system works, she understood people had to have something to believe in to get by. Especially when rebuilding what they thought was the last of humanity. In the cast of the delinquents, they believed in one another. It was all they needed to persevere. 

“Of course, let me know if you need anything.” She smiled and turned away, hiding her own torment from the blond.Clarke nodded, understanding more than the woman could know just yet. She set off to find her friends, knowing they would be at the dropship or the workshop if Raven was leading the charge. 

Clarke popped into the workshop and found no one there. She decided they must actually be at the dropship. When she walked up to it, the door was open so she walked right in. Searching the massive ship, she checked nav, the Medbay, and even the lockup finding no one. Eventually, she caught a murmur of sound and followed it to find her family in the cafeteria set up around a large table. Even John Murphy sat there, albeit cuffed to the bolted table. Her stomach churned seeing him and furthermore when she saw even a glimpse of a tuft of black hair. Trembling, she grabbed her jacket and pulled it down to take the focus off of her shaking fingers. 

“You are okay.” She told herself internally. Raven looked over and noticed her first, giving her a soft but studious smile which clearly displayed concern for how her friend was. Clarke tried to give her a reassuring look, but it faltered and she just stayed stone-faced when the rest of the group clocked her. 

“There she is.” Emori sweetly spoke and stood to meet Clarke. Out of earshot of everyone, Emori mumbled a sweet reassurance. “Glad to have you back.” 

Clarke smiled, but it was hollow. “You guys have food in here?” She asked, trying to act normal but asking for food was hardly normal for Clarke. Emori laughed and walked away, gesturing for Clarke to go to the table. She did. She walked toward it seeing Raven quickly adjust where she sat so Clarke could sit with her. Her friends knew she was off, probably assuming trauma from being body-snatched, but only one person in the room understood just how traumatic it was. They didn’t know what had happened between Bellamy and Josephine and no one knew that Clarke bore witness to all of it. Sliding onto the bench next to Raven felt like the only comfort she would get at the moment so she held onto it. Emori appeared with a basket half-picked full of fresh fruit and veg. It was clearly given to them by Delilah’s mom and had likely been feeding Abby and Jackson. Clarke happily took what looked to be an apple and fiddled with it while they got back to talking. 

“So we’ve been playing over a couple of scenarios and we thought up one thing that well, seems drastic but makes sense. We don’t know just how many AI chips there are or who they are in outside of the people called Primes, right? What if we rigged a massive EMP to shock all of them at once. It won't be likely to save anyone but Delilah if we’re fast enough.” Raven explained and Jordan looked glum. 

“How would we do that? We can’t EMP Sanctum, it would fry everything. “ Clarke asked, finally taking a bite out of the apple. It was sweet and crisp with a nice snappy bite. 

“That part we haven’t figured out yet.” She admitted. Clarke nodded and the group kind of sat there quietly thinking for a moment. 

“Nightblood,” Clarke said after another bite. They all looked at her, even Bellamy. She couldn’t look up from her apple though. She studied it as if looking away would end her. 

“We tell them we know how to engineer Nightblood but need samples from all carriers. I will encourage it, as… Josephine.” She nearly choked the name out. “... and when we get them sequestered, maybe here on the ship or in their own lab if we can manage that. We can nuke them all as a group somehow or one by one if we have enough paralytics or reaper sticks and do it while they are out. Somewhere away from other people so no one else knows what is going on and from there, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Clarke explained, finally looking up but only to Raven. She clearly liked the idea. 

“You're a genius, but are you sure you can take that on?” She asked cautiously. 

“If it’s what I have to do, then yes. They think I’m one of theirs, I can use that in our favor.” 

“But what about you?” John said and everyone was surprised and Clarke was angry. 

“Last I checked, you didn’t care what became of me.” She stared into his soul when she spoke to him and it clearly rattled him. “If it weren’t for Emori, I’d use you as bait at this point.” She bitterly spoke, even though it was a bald-faced lie. 

“And Gaia?” Bellamy spoke, not looking at her and her, not to him, but it pained her to have to reply to him. Speak to him. 

“Gaia is safe, she is going to be our way in, in terms of trust and understanding. Gaia will use her history with the flame to get in their good graces. If we can make it happen fast enough, she’ll be what gets them to trust us to allow us to corral them for night blood samples. Then we nuke the chips, restart Delilah’s heart, and pray to every star in the galaxy that we made the right choice and at the right time. We also don’t know what will happen when the followers of Sanctum find out. Our hope is that Delilah will help soothe that, should we be able to rescue her.”

Clarke spoke very candidly and Jordan respected it. He knew they were doing what they could, not just for themselves but for Delilah. He understood that no matter how much it hurt to face it.

“Do you think she’s still in there?” Jordan asked and her heart skipped many beats thinking about it. She replayed her own experience, as if watching behind her own eyes, her body being someone else. Her eyes flickered as she replayed everything she saw and they glazed over instantly. 

“I don’t know if she fought or not, to be honest. But when it happens, you’re in there. Watching someone else steer your body as if on autopilot. She could have seen that and fought tooth and nail to get it back when she realized what had happened to her, and I wholly pray that is the case Jordan.” Clarke was honest with him, looking him head-on and hoping he understood the gravity of the situation. “I really do.” She repeated, choked up a bit. 

“I uh, should go work on Gaia.” She quickly stood up trying to excuse herself before she unraveled. Bellamy stirred in his seat. She could feel his eyes boring holes through her, and Raven clapped a hand over his shoulder to stop him from following. She escaped the room and found privacy elsewhere before crying out silently. It was a soft, quick weep. Something to hopefully help her get through the day to come, or weeks. Truth be told they didn’t know what would happen next or if their plan would work. If history repeated itself, something would surely go wrong. She didn’t know if her heart could handle anything else at this point. Regaining her composure, Clarke did as she said and went to the palace. She donned her best, most confident and disgustingly cocky Josephine. 

“Let’s see how our little prisoner feels today, shall we?” She asked one of the guards that trailed her. She left them outside and walked in to find Gaia chained to the floor, she sat meditating near the very metal loop that detained her. She softly smiled at Clarke upon seeing her join her and they spoke quietly. 

“Are you alright?” The poised one asked, having been able to read Clarke’s wreckage on her soul. Clarke wanted to nod and shake her head at the same time so she sort of just shrugged. 

“I will be fine, how are you holding up?” She asked. 

“It’s peaceful, though Russell seems weary of me.”

“As he should be. Hopefully, we can convince them that you are a follower and believe in their technology, meanwhile, I need to get them to think that we can give them night blood so they can pick and chose who is Prime. We have to work together on this though. We have a plan to EMP anyone who is chipped.” Clarke explained quietly. 

“Won't that kill them though?” Gaia looked concerned and Clarke could understand where she was coming from. Given that Gaia was raised in a religion revolving around the use of AI chips, Sanctum was virtually no different. It was false beliefs regardless, but she understood Gaia’s hesitation and understanding of the people of Sanctum. 

Clarke sighed. “It will wipe the chips, yes, and in the process likely kill any of the primes who have been chipped for a while. It could however save Delilah.” 

“Is this our best path?” Gaia questioned. 

“I don’t want anyone else to die just as much as you do, but I can’t see any other solution. This society was built upon a false religion and the Primes are controlling these people's lives. We don’t know how they will respond to what will happen, but the Primes need to be put to rest a long time ago.” Clarke reasoned. Gaia studied the words and pondered other choices. 

“Very well. I think of how I felt when the flame was destroyed and our history of commanders wiped with it. It pains me, but while our beliefs are similar to that of the Primes, they have very different intents.” 

“Very, very different intents. The Prime only care about themselves, not the people of Sanctum. We are all human, and we are all in this together. We can only hope that the people of Sanctum will see that if our plan works.” 

The girls took arms and embraced for a moment before Clarke explained that she would send in a guard, someone docile to try to break Gaia down. It didn’t make sense for Josephine to suddenly have the patience to do it herself. They bonded over the understanding that they needed to do what was necessary and parted ways. On her way out of the Palace, Russell stopped her. 

“Josie, you look exhausted.” Russell caught her off guard. 

“Have you tried sleeping in that inn and pretending to be some dramatic rebel space girl?” 

“Why don’t you go up and rest, I heard you’ve sent someone in with our captive. How is that going?” He questioned. 

“I think she’ll understand quickly and see our world, what with how she was brought up on Earth. I’m really not concerned.” She dismissed the thought of it being a challenge, as Josephine was overly cocky. 

“Always the optimist, Josie.” Russell leaned in to kiss her forehead and she cringed when his lips touched her skin. It bothered her to no end. “Go rest in a real bed.” He smiled.

Wanting to protest, Clarke fought her every urge. She wanted nothing more than to run out of the palace and go back to her family but at the same time, she didn’t want to be around Bellamy and to face that pain. “Okay.” It was all she could think of, and so she, as Josephine found herself in her room. It felt familiar but foreign and so wrong pretending to be this woman and be in this room but part of her couldn’t deny the comfort she found in being able to actually hide from her problems right now. 

Clarke found the bathroom and drew herself a bath, something she hadn’t had but a few times in her adult life. The palace was opulent for being something made off-Earth and by a clue from an exploratory space program. The bathroom was gold and decorated in swirls and glass. It felt like a world she never knew and didn’t belong in. Guilt settled in her chest at her being in here, pampering herself rather than fighting for her friends and their lives, but the heat of the clean water that she sank into let her ignore it and for one moment be in a numb, heated bliss. It was all part of the plan and she had to let it see itself out. This was just one part of it and right now, this one thing was probably something she actually needed. 


End file.
